Wagner Overtures

[akiralx]

I don't think there is an excerpts disc of the Karajan Parsifal but the bells have always sounded splendid on that one.

There was on LP, but I agree not on CD... I would put in a word for Szell for the excerpts from Gotterdammerung - not strictly overtures of course.

[Pabmusic]

It's such a shame that Sir Adrian was not permitted to record Wagner with singers.

Do you know if he conducted any Wagner with singers in the concert hall, Pabs?

Yes, he certainly did some concerts before WW2 with whole acts, at least. I'll see what I can find.

[gurnemanz]

I would add a small cavil about the Boult Wagner excerpts: EMI, in their parsimony, seem to only have afforded him one rather cheap-sounding bell for the Parsifal Transformation Music. So, for this particular bleeding chunk you're probably better off looking elsewhere. I don't think there is an excerpts disc of the Karajan Parsifal but the bells have always sounded splendid on that one.

Most people will want to hear the original "Bayreuth bells" which Wagner had specially cast for the first performance in 1882. They were later melted down by the Nazis for the war effort. Available on the Naxos Muck 2 CD set.

[Pabmusic]

It's such a shame that Sir Adrian was not permitted to record Wagner with singers.

Do you know if he conducted any Wagner with singers in the concert hall, Pabs?

Yes, he certainly did some concerts before WW2 with whole acts, at least. I'll see what I can find.

I found this (Gramophone):

Boult conducted Die Walkure in 1925 and 1927 with the British National Opera Company in Birmingham, and in 1931 three performances at Covent Garden. He conducted the BBC Symphony in a concert performance of Act III of Siegfried in 1932. In 1926 he conducted Parsifal at the RCM, and five more performances with the British National Opera Company on tour. He always wanted to do opera (not just Wagner, by the way,) but he blamed Beecham for keeping him out of the opera house.

[makropulos]

I found this (Gramophone):

Boult conducted Die Walkure in 1925 and 1927 with the British National Opera Company in Birmingham, and in 1931 three performances at Covent Garden. He conducted the BBC Symphony in a concert performance of Act III of Siegfried in 1932. In 1926 he conducted Parsifal at the RCM, and five more performances with the British National Opera Company on tour. He always wanted to do opera (not just Wagner, by the way,) but he blamed Beecham for keeping him out of the opera house.

It's good to be reminded of this - thanks for unearthing some very interesting information. I looked on the ROH online archives and could only find ballets conducted by ACB, but I thought he'd done some of the Ring in the theatre.

Anyway, at the risk of simply repeating what others have said - for Wagner overtures (especially since the whole box is fantastic, and stupidly cheap)...

Boult !

To which I would add:
Böhm, Jochum, Matacic, Kubelik, Konwitschny, Szell ...
as well as Solti on a good day, Toscanini... and so on (and on).

[Karafan]

Gentlemen (and ladies)...have we forgotten Rudolf Kempe?

[amateur51]

I found this (Gramophone):

Boult conducted Die Walkure in 1925 and 1927 with the British National Opera Company in Birmingham, and in 1931 three performances at Covent Garden. He conducted the BBC Symphony in a concert performance of Act III of Siegfried in 1932. In 1926 he conducted Parsifal at the RCM, and five more performances with the British National Opera Company on tour. He always wanted to do opera (not just Wagner, by the way,) but he blamed Beecham for keeping him out of the opera house.

Please excuse the tardiness of my reply, Pabs - that is fascinating information, thank you

[salymap]

Please excuse the tardiness of my reply, Pabs - that is fascinating information, thank you

Yes, interesting to read of three conductors in London in 'my time'. All the little stories about Boult, Sargent and Beecham and hidden jealousies etc still surfacing. I never remember Boult seemed interested in conducting opera.

[Barbirollians]

Yes, interesting to read of three conductors in London in 'my time'. All the little stories about Boult, Sargent and Beecham and hidden jealousies etc still surfacing. I never remember Boult seemed interested in conducting opera.

The BBC SO job gave him little opportunity salymap . You could say the same about Barbirolli - he did not conduct at Covent Garden again after 1953 and only made a late return to opera in Rome with Madama Butterfly and on disc with that and Otello .

[Julien Sorel]

Staatskapelle Dreseden / Sinopoli (DG) and for a very different (and closer to what Wagner seems to have wanted, at least in terms of tempo ) approach London Classical Players / Norrington (EMI).

[amateur51]

The BBC SO job gave him little opportunity salymap . You could say the same about Barbirolli - he did not conduct at Covent Garden again after 1953 and only made a late return to opera in Rome with Madama Butterfly and on disc with that and Otello .

Barbirolli 'live' at Covent Garden with Callas in Aida in 1953

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Testament/SBT21355 - does anyone know this performance?

And there appears to be a part-performance of Berg Wozzeck on this 2-CD set by BBCSO/Boult - known to anyone?

http://www.amazon.com/Berg-Wozzeck-Alban/dp/B000MX7TO0

[Nick Armstrong]

Agreed as stated above about Tennstedt, but I'm also rather a fan of this collection: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lorin-Maazel...1279363&sr=8-2

Not usually a Maazel disciple but I love the Lohengrin 3. Akt Vorspiel on that disc. Great sound.

[DublinJimbo]

for a very different (and closer to what Wagner seems to have wanted, at least in terms of tempo ) approach London Classical Players / Norrington (EMI).

Dear God, not Norrington! On a trip to the airport, my taxi driver in Montreal had his radio tuned to a classical station and left it on at my request. I thought I recognised one of the pieces, but it was only when the announcer came back on that I realised I'd been listening to the Rienzi overture. I don't know if this performance was with the London Classical Players, but what I heard only served to reinforce my distaste for Norrington in general.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And there appears to be a part-performance of Berg Wozzeck on this 2-CD set by BBCSO/Boult - known to anyone?

http://www.amazon.com/Berg-Wozzeck-Alban/dp/B000MX7TO0

I don't know this set, but "Boult/BBCSO/Wozzeck" makes me presume that it's from the famous broadcast of the complete opera (a concert performance from the Queen's Hall) that Berg himself heard and greatly approved. I first and last heard these recorded excerpts when they were broadcast during the Boult centenary year (1989) - the sound quality was dire, but suggested that the opportunity for a truly outstanding studio recording session had been squandered.

[Barbirollians]

The Aida, Callas Barbirolli is a cracking performance - one or other of the late pair of superb Gramophone reviewers - Alan Blyth or John Steane recommended it strongly when it was released on Testament .